Why Is Missouri In The SEC?

[Volfan1000]

Why did the SEC not select West Virginia or another school to join along with Texas A&M when they expanded in 2012?

I do not see what Missouri brings to this conference.

 

[GAVol]

I do not see what Missouri brings to this conference.

A much better TV market than anything they’ve got in Morgantown.

 

[VolArmy74]

 

[A.J.]

All I can figure is the SEC wanted to increase their footprint in the Midwest, and they were interested in joining at the time. They bring nothing to the conference. They are usually mediocre to bad in all the major sports, and from what I’ve seen on tv have little fan support. They are barely a notch above Vandy. At least Vandy has their academics and is good at baseball.

 

[TrueOrange]

A much better TV market than anything they’ve got in Morgantown.

That’s almost an understatement.

Metropolitan St. Louis has a larger population than the entirety of West Virginia; metropolitan Kansas City has a larger population than the entirety of West Virginia; heck, metropolitan Nashville has a larger population than the entirety of West Virginia.

 

[esarmstrong]

In a league loaded with sports behemoths, one should never underestimate the value of a good ole whipping boy, that also has a good-sized population around it.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

Let's at least beat them this year so that we have a winning record against them before we kick them out of the conference.

 

[amaralfan1]

A much better TV market than anything they’ve got in Morgantown.

Morgantown is in the Pittsburgh Designated Market Area (#26) which is about the same size as St. Louis (#23). Columbia is its own DMA (#135). I believe the reasoning (media wise) was that their were a lot of Mizzou grads/fans in St. Louis and Kansas City (#34).

 

[dduncan4163]

They are Vandy without the Academics. WVU has a much bigger and loyal fan base but Mizzou has a big TV market. That's the only reason the SEC wanted them. They are a fish out of water in the SEC but so is Nebraska in The Big Ten. The bright side is they are as close to a guaranteed win as you'll find these days. Pinkel had them playing above their weight but he's gone and I hope they keep Drink around for a long long time.

 

[fullerishot]

A good friend used to work for the athletic dept. there. He was always disappointed because university sports were always behind the Cardinals, the Rams (at the time), and the Chiefs. UT doesn't necessarily have that problem.

 

[greenbacknative]

Il\ like having another sure win in November...

 

[BanditVol]

All I can figure is the SEC wanted to increase their footprint in the Midwest, and they were interested in joining at the time. They bring nothing to the conference. They are usually mediocre to bad in all the major sports, and from what I’ve seen on tv have little fan support. They are barely a notch above Vandy. At least Vandy has their academics and is good at baseball.

Barely a notch above Vandy? They won 12 Big 8 championships (but only two after 1950) in football Vandy has zero SEC championships. MIssouri has already been to the SECCG twice. Vandy has never been and likely never will. They are way above Vandy. I think a better comparison is somewhere between Ole Miss and MSU.

 

[DB1995]

Idk, they have won the East twice since the last time we did

 

[zaqhhh]

Yeah I’m sorry but Mizzou hasn’t been that bad. They have winning or even records against half the east (including us).

I don’t see any issue with them here.

 

[MurphyVol]

The Raleigh TV market is right there with St Louis. If the SEC was purely looking at TV potential, I always thought NC St would have been a better fit than Mizzou and it might have done them some good to get out of UNCs shadow.

 

[amaralfan1]

The Raleigh TV market is right there with St Louis. If the SEC was purely looking at TV potential, I always thought NC St would have been a better fit than Mizzou and it might have done them some good to get out of UNCs shadow.

Another decent theory is the SEC foresaw expansion and thought keeping a connected geographic area was needed. Missouri was needed to go after Oklahoma 10+ years down the line. Them SEC wants states "touching" on a map.

 

[feathersax]

Idk, they have won the East twice since the last time we did

Only because the SEC East was horrific during those years. MIS-ery's timing was just lucky; it ain't that way today.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

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Looks like a comparison of my virility from 41 to 51.

 

[Jackcrevol]

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Misery

- Missing one tooth


West Virginia

- Not a one in sight

 

[Schasz]

Well before they were successful in getting in the SEC Missouri lost out to Nebraska in their effort to join the Big 10. While it doesn't answer the initial question it's an explains what happened.

 

[obxvol]

We don’t know why or how really. We all just woke up one morning and there they were. Kinda like waking up with a big zit on your face. Never a pleasant feeling. True story.

 

[barknoxbrawler]

All I can figure is the SEC wanted to increase their footprint in the Midwest, and they were interested in joining at the time. They bring nothing to the conference. They are usually mediocre to bad in all the major sports, and from what I’ve seen on tv have little fan support. They are barely a notch above Vandy. At least Vandy has their academics and is good at baseball.

They have been good enough to beat us 50% of the time. Much better than what Vandy (or other sec programs) can say. They are down like we were and they came into that league like a storm playin good ball.

 

[utchs81]

They have been good enough to beat us 50% of the time. Much better than what Vandy (or other sec programs) can say. They are down like we were and they came into that league like a storm playin good ball.

You, unfortunately, are correct however they did join the conference during some of the lowest times in our history.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Only because the SEC East was horrific during those years. MIS-ery's timing was just lucky; it ain't that way today.

And even then, they won because they got the worst SEC West teams. In each of those years, they lost head to head to the true best team in the East (SC and Georgia), but those teams lost to better West teams.

 

[WoodsmanVol]

Why did the SEC not select West Virginia or another school to join along with Texas A&M when they expanded in 2012?
I do not see what Missouri brings to this conference.

Go back, waaaaayyy back to the arguments, opinions, comments posted when this was considered and later voted upon. Rehashing the stuff doesn't change the fact that Missouri is in the SEC now. We should only be concerned with beating all comers, whatever state or region they hail from.